Happy Birthday!
by Kinkatia
Summary: Oneshots celebrating the birthdays of various Naruto characters, which shall appear throughout the year. May 1: Chouji
1. Might Gai

**I do not own **_**Naruto**_

January 1

Half of the village was sleeping. The other half was celebrating.

Once again, they had all forgotten. He wasn't surprised, though. No one ever remembered. They forgot in the cheer that came with the start of each new year. He couldn't blame them for it. After all, that would be like condemning them for their youthfulness, and he could never do such a thing!

And so he found himself strolling aimlessly through the streets, returning the greetings of 'Happy New Year!' with forced smiles and half-hearted waves. His lack of enthusiasm for the holiday was easily passed off as a little too much sake and not enough sleep.

He'd often thought about reminding everyone, but it seemed a bit selfish to him. Why should he dampen their youthful spirits by telling them they had forgotten something important? No, not important, he mused, pushing back the unwelcome thought that followed it. _It's important to me._

In order to banish the gloominess that threatened to steal over him, he committed himself to sprinting 100 laps around the village, focusing on his training rather than the celebrations that he wished weren't for ushering in the new year but for the one thing everyone had forgotten.

As the afternoon waned into evening, he gave up his sprinting to walk home and celebrate by himself as he had nearly every year of his life. He sighed sadly; even his parents had often forgotten.

When he arrived, he pulled open the door, and stepped inside, flicking on the lights as he did so.

"Happy birthday, Gai-sensei!"

He nearly jumped out of his skin, so great was his surprise at seeing his three students standing just inside and the room decorated for a party. A small stack of gifts was piled next to a large cake with a single large candle.

For the first time that day, a real smile alighted upon his face, and he captured the three of them in a joyful hug. "You remembered!" he exclaimed.

"Of course we remembered!" Lee replied as Neji and TenTen tried to wriggle away, clearly embarrassed by the sudden show of affection from their sensei, despite the fact that no one was around to see it.

A thought occurred to him then; "How did you three get in here?"

Lee happily supplied the answer. "Kakashi-san found out we were planning you a party, and he got the door open for us! And then he said we should make sure you got this present from him!" He darted to the table and picked up a small package to show Gai.

"He did, did he?" he mused. "Then I shall have to outdo him by helping his team throw him an even bigger party on his birthday!" He topped of the statement with his signature good guy pose while Neji and TenTen sweatdropped in the background.

"You can do it, Gai-sensei!" Lee cheered on.

"This is nice, but how about we have some cake?" TenTen suggested. "We're having a party, remember?"

**Yeah…I got a Naruto calendar for Christmas, and shall celebrate each character's birthday now! So, please enjoy my occasional one-shots! **


	2. Haku

**I do not own **_**Naruto**_

January 9

_It was the first year alone. No one to be happy with, no one to know that another year, so long when one is so young, had gone by. There was no one in the world who cared when a small boy shivered in the street, alone._

A cold gust of wind swoops down from the sky, howling in the heavy silence that descends upon the land with the snow.

_It was the first year with renewed hope. Someone was there again, to care, and to give purpose. The boy could not keep the smile off his face. _

"_What are you so happy about?"_

_The boy grinned as he answered. "I'm nine today."_

"_Your birthday, is it? Don't expect anything special."_

_They continued walking, but the boy kept smiling._

The few remaining birds huddle in any cover they can find, determined to last out the bitter cold.

_It was the first year with a hint of affection. The boy had learned to keep his smiles to himself, and had seen many hardships. Nonetheless, he could not keep the extra spring out of his step._

_Nothing was said about it, but he thought he saw a smile touch his master's eyes as they took an unexpected but much appreciated detour through a small town to get a bite to eat._

The trees groan under the weight of the ice hanging from their limbs. Every so often, a sudden cracking sound echoes over the landscape, and a weaker branch hurtles to the ground.

_It was the first year of giving. The boy had been worn down, over and over again, all in the name of training. He had grown stronger, and was growing stronger still, in all areas of shinobi skill but one. _

_They stumbled across an injured rabbit in the woods, cowering under the brush. The boy was immediately drawn to it, wanting to soothe away its pain. He cradled it in his arms, quieting its fear and gaining its trust._

"_Can I keep him?" the boy asked softly, fearfully. He was not in the habit of asking for anything, and was anxious about doing so._

_His master looked down upon him for a moment before turning away. "It's hurt. It will be good practice for you, since your medical skills are lacking."_

_The boy smiled broadly and held the rabbit closer. "Thank you!"_

Snatches of time seem to flit through the air; the story of a life.

_It was the first year of knowing. The boy had grown, and was no longer a child. His master had come to depend upon him. Both knew that he would willingly give his life, without being asked, if it were to save his master. _

_The boy saw the signs, and knew that his master cared, truly cared about him._

_The master knew that he saw them, and knew it was enough to make him happy._

A stone is uncovered as the wind swirls around it, revealing a name carved neatly into it: _Haku._

**Do you have any idea how hard this was to write? Sorry it's a day late…I forgot yesterday because I wasn't really home. Bleh…**


	3. Subaku no Gaara

**Owning **_**Naruto**_** is a privilege I do not have.**

January 19

Gaara cast a subtle glance over his shoulder. Someone was tailing him. They had been at it since morning. It didn't particularly bother him that he was being followed; what bothered him was that it wasn't a shinobi. His stalker's lack of stealth attested to it.

Determined not to show any interest in his stalker, he couldn't catch a glimpse of him. His curiosity was piqued, however; he would be patient and wait until they made the first move.

And so he went about his business, and still the shadow at the edge of his vision remained there, neither leaving nor revealing himself. The day crept past, and finally, he returned to his home, stalker nearly forgotten.

His senses tingled, and his eyes turned to the door. Someone was on the other side. After a moment, he heard footsteps shuffling away. Cautious, he opened the door a crack and peered out. A girl, one he had seen around the village a few times, was peeking around the corner of the building, sandy hair hanging in her eyes.

He glanced down and saw that she had left a box on his doorstep. He pushed the door open farther, and the girl squeaked and pulled her head from sight. Gaara picked up the box and retreated inside.

He set it on the table and gently lifted the top off of it. His eyes widened as he found himself gazing at a small cake, badly decorated with yellow icing. On top, in red, the words 'Happy Birthday, Gaara-san' were scrawled.

A small smile worked its way onto his face. He had completely forgotten about his birthday. He didn't know how the girl had found out, but…apparently not everyone in Sunagakure viewed him as a monster.

**It's late, I know. Forgive me, Gaara-chan! It was Poe's birthday, too! **


	4. Shino Aburame

_**Naruto**_**? Nah, wasn't my brainchild.**

January 23

"Ne, Kiba," Naruto whispered conspiratorially. "Guess what I found out."

Kiba raised a brow and looked at the blonde suspiciously. "This doesn't have anything to do with Sasuke and why he's such an—"

"No way," Naruto interrupted gleefully. "Today is Shino's birthday!"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "I knew that already."

"Yeah, but his parents are away on a mission. We should throw him a party!"

"I don't know if he would even want a party. He's not very sociable," Kiba pointed out.

But Naruto ignored him; his mind was already plotting. "Come on, we're gonna need help if we're gonna make this happen!"

* * *

Sasuke stood looking at the ragtag group of his fellow Genin led by none other than Naruto Uzumaki.

"What do you want, dobe?"

Instead of the usual annoyed or smug reply, he was answered with, "We're throwing Shino a birthday party! Wanna help?"

He glanced at the group again; behind Naruto stood Kiba with Akamaru, Hinata, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sakura and Ino having a glaring contest, and Rock Lee. He shrugged. "Whatever. It's not like I've got anything better to do."

"Alright, teme! Come on, we've got a lot of work to do!"

* * *

Shino watched the beetle closely, observing it as it burrowed through the bark of the tree. Though the work it did was difficult, it was making good progress…

…until a small white dog bounded up to him, startling the beetle and making it fly away in fright.

Sighing, he turned his gaze on Akamaru, knowing Kiba could not be far behind. Just as he suspected, the Inuzuka was strolling toward him, grinning. "Hey Shino. I've been looking all over for you. Kurenai-sensei wants us for something or other."

He nodded impassively and followed Kiba back the way he had come. "Do you have any idea what it might be?" he asked quietly, staring ahead.

"Nah," Kiba replied. "Not a clue. She just asked me and Akamaru to track you down. What do you think, buddy?" he asked, looking down at his dog trotting faithfully by his side.

Akamaru yipped happily, and Kiba laughed. "What did he say?" Shino asked.

Grinning, Kiba answered, "He said he hopes she's treating us to lunch, he's starved."

* * *

"Why are we at the Hyuga compound?" Shino asked.

Kiba's grin widened suspiciously. "Beats me. Kurenai-sensei was here, though, talking to Hinata, when she sent me to get you. Hurry up, they're waiting for us."

He jogged around to the back of Hinata's home and unceremoniously pulled open the door. Both shinobi stopped dead in their tracks.

Sasuke was standing in a corner, eye twitching and half a dozen stress marks adorning his head while Ino and Sakura had a vicious shouting match about the flattened cake on the table between them.

"I told you to be more careful, Ino-pig! We'll never have enough time to bake another one!"

"It wasn't my fault, Billboard-Brow! Lee tripped me! Maybe if you hadn't told him to decorate, then he wouldn't have gotten in the way!"

"Don't you try to blame this on me! Besides, Lee didn't trip you! You got irritated with his enthusiasm and kicked him! Don't think I didn't see you!"

Said youth-obsessed ninja was sitting on a stepladder some distance away from the girls, an ice pack on his head and tears cascading from his closed eyes. "I have failed the lovely Sakura in the task that she set forth for me! I am so ashamed!"

Shikamaru was sitting lazily on the floor across the room, staring at the crepe paper that was trailing down from the ceiling and across the floor. "How troublesome," he muttered, shaking his head wearily. Chouji sat beside him, eagerly devouring the contents of a brightly colored bowl. Shikamaru eyes him warily. "You probably shouldn't be eating the snacks yet. The girls are gonna get mad at you." Chouji simply shrugged happily.

Off in another corner, Hinata was panicking about the state of things with Naruto trying to reassure her that it would work out, his very presence making the girl even more nervous than she was.

"Uh, guys?" Kiba questioned hesitantly. Instantly, all activity in the room ceased as everyone noticed him and Shino standing in the doorway.

"Ano…" Naruto said, sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Surprise?"

Kiba laughed suddenly. "I should've known better than to leave you lot here alone." Turning to Shino, he clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Happy Birthday, dude."

**Ah, the fresh smell of chaos. Sorry it's a day late…I had a traumatic day yesterday. Seems I'm starting a pattern, though…**


	5. The Fourth Hokage

_**Naruto**_** belongs to someone I am not. **

January 25

Kakashi took a long moment to stand still, the early morning light just penetrating the darkness of the night. Slowly, he turned and looked over his shoulder, tilting his head up to look at the giant stone monument carved into the cliff. His eyes skipped over the first three faces to rest on the fourth.

How well he remembered that face. Blue eyes that looked straight into the soul, blonde shocks of unruly hair moving with the breeze, and a grin that could make any hurt seem like it didn't matter anymore. The face of a leader who wasn't above the people who followed him, who would go to the ends of the earth to protect those he cared about, who knew how to enjoy life and pull a prank or two.

A smile crinkled his visible eye. No one was around to hear as he whispered to the wind.

"I've got a student who reminds me of you. And it's not just that he looks like you. He might be a prankster and a knucklehead, but he's fast learning what it means to be a shinobi. Each day, he seems to get more and more like you."

Sighing quietly, he turned and continued his trek, a murmur escaping his lips as he did so, and floating for a moment on the air, as if suspended in time.

"Happy birthday, sensei."

**I don't think I've ever written something so short…please review! This was REALLY hard for me to write!**


	6. Sarutobi, The Third Hokage

**I don't own **_**Naruto**_**? Oh yeah, well, neither do you!**

February 8

Konohamaru sat on the swing outside the Academy, staring at the ground. He was alone; his friends were nowhere to be found, he had managed to lose Ebisu halfway across the village, and there was no one he wanted to try to kill. He simply wanted to be alone.

However, luck never was on his side.

"Ne, Konohamaru, whatcha doin' out here by yourself?"

He looked up to see Naruto grinning down at him. He didn't want company; he wanted to tell him to go away. But he couldn't make the words come; they caught in his throat as quickly as they formed in his mind.

"Why the long face?" Naruto's tone had changed from cheeriness to concern, and he crouched, looking up at Konohamaru instead of down at him.

He didn't want anyone's concern. He wanted to be left alone, with no one to bother him, because…because…

Tears pricked at his eyes, and he hastily wiped them away with the back of his fist. "Go away," he mumbled bitterly.

But Naruto did not go away. He remained in front of Konohamaru, sitting on his heels, peering up at him patiently.

Finally, he said sadly, "It's his birthday today."

Naruto stood and moved to the base of the tree, sitting down against it. "So that's it," he said, tilting his head up to look at the bare leaves of the tree. "The old man's birthday…"

"I miss him," Konohamaru confided. "We always went out to eat on his birthday. Just me and him. We always had lots of fun, and…" He trailed off, sniffling quietly.

"I wish I had known," Naruto told him quietly. "He always looked out for me, even though I caused him all sorts of trouble. Not that many people paid attention to me when I was your age, but the old man was different. And I never got to wish him a happy birthday."

They sat for a while in relative silence, Konohamaru occasionally wiping at his eyes, Naruto staring at the branches of the tree.

"Ano, Konohamaru…wanna go get something to eat? You know, in memory of the old man?"

"Sure thing, Boss."

**sniffles Rest in peace, Sarutobi-san…**

**Is it just me, or are an awful lot of these birthdays for characters who died?**


	7. Kabuto

**Finally! I've been wanting to do this birthday for a while now. As a warning, because I'm not as familiar with the characters involved as I am other characters, and because I thought this idea would be utterly hilarious, for me at least, there may be some, if not a lot, of OOCness.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the mental image of the last scene, which makes me laugh.**

February 29

Orochimaru suppressed an exasperated sigh as a candle near him flickered out. He sat in silence for a moment, the semi-darkness shrouding him in shadows that danced in the dim light of the lit candles.

He had underestimated the intruders. They were an odd, ragtag group of various missing-nin that had banded together under the impression that their combined skills could defeat him. No doubt the fools had been hired by someone living in fear of him.

He had sent some of his lesser followers to greet them. But eliminating the intruders had proved to be rather more….difficult than he had anticipated.

Another candle flame flickered into nonexistence, and he made his decision. If the fools wished to die, he would grant them their wish. A smirk slowly spread across his features and he chuckled quietly to himself.

"Kabuto," he said, his hissing voice echoing throughout the chamber. "Why don't you go and greet our visitors?"

His echoed died away, and he was greeted with silence.

"Kabuto?"

Brow furrowing in irritation, he turned his concentration outward and realized that the chamber was empty but for him. Kabuto was nowhere to be found.

For a moment, he was puzzled; Kabuto was as loyal as loyal came, and had never failed him. So why was he missing now, when they were under attack?

A thought occurred to him, and he sighed wearily. "It seems to be that time again. If he wasn't so useful, he would die for this."

The chamber echoed with his displeased murmurings as he stood gracefully. "I suppose I'll just have to take care of this problem myself."

* * *

He knew Orochimaru needed him for something; he had developed a type of sixth sense regarding the snake. But he pushed the feeling away and swallowed another mouthful of rice wine.

"He can handle himself," he muttered darkly, hiccupping. "My birthday only comes around once every four years."

* * *

By the time the sun had set, the intruders had been brutally killed, torn apart by Orochimaru himself.

And Kabuto could be seen in the nearest village tavern, passed out drunk and drooling happily on the table.

**I just HAD to write it, once the idea got itself lodged into my head. I apologize for the poor quality of the writing…my muses are pretty much out of commission right now. This is the first thing I've written in weeks. **


	8. TenTen

**This will be rather difficult for me. I haven't a clue what I'll be doing, but…I think I can manage…somehow…**

**Apologies in advance for the rampant OOCness that is looming in the dark recesses of my mind, just itching to take over.**

March 9

TenTen awoke early in the morning, feeling refreshed and energized. Then she remembered what day it was, and was filled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

"Training should be interesting, at least," she concluded, rising and going about her morning ritual.

* * *

It was suspiciously quiet as she arrived at Team Gai's usual training grounds. In fact, she noted as she let her eyes roam around the area, the two most energetic members of her squad were not present. Only Neji was there, leaning silently against a tree, watching her with mild interest.

She jogged over to him, confusion rattling around inside her mind. "Where're Lee and Gai-sensei?" she asked.

"I was going to ask you," he replied levelly. "They were here when I arrived, but they left, shouting about something or another."

She blinked in surprise. "They just left? But they've never missed training." a sneaking suspicion of their purpose began forming in the back of her mind, but she shrugged it away.

"Oh well. I guess we can start without them."

* * *

"Lady Tsunade, please!"

Tsunade glared over her paperwork at the Jonin interrupting her work. Might Gai was standing in front of her desk with tears cascading down his face.

"Gai, I told you already, I don't have time," she snapped irritably, rubbing her temples wearily.

"Just a little hello is all I'm asking!" he insisted.

Her eye twitched dangerously. "I said no!"

"Lady Tsunade, reconsider!"

A resounding crash echoed throughout Hokage Tower when Gai was sent flying through the door and into the wall across the hall. Tsunade stalked out behind him, ignoring the panicked look on Lee's face as he rushed to his sensei's side. "Shizune!" she called. "I'm going out for a bit!"

* * *

"Thanks for treating me to lunch, Neji," TenTen said with an impossibly huge smile.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was for your birthday," he reminded.

"I know, but I still appreciate it. It's nice to be able to spend some time together without Gai-sensei or Lee rambling about something or other."

Neji didn't know what to say to that, but could tell she was expecting a response. "Hn."

"You could at least use actual words," TenTen said laughingly.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her.

Suddenly, TenTen gasped in surprise. "It's Lady Tsunade!" she exclaimed.

Tsunade looked over upon hearing her name, and grimaced inwardly. _Looks like you're going to get what you wanted after all, Gai._

Neji shook his head and walked away as his teammate forgot all about him and rushed across the street to speak with the Hokage.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade! It's an honor to run into you like this, and on my birthday, no less!"

"So, it's your birthday, is it? That explains a lot…"

**GAH! Kill me now! Honestly, this is awful. But I needed something, and I know TenTen admires Tsunade…and that's about it. –sob- I'm not at all good at this… You don't even have to review this one…I just want it to disappear…**


	9. Kisame

**I know what I'm doing on this one! Any OOCness, which should be little to none, is due to knowing these characters more through fanfiction than anything.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not claiming to own a thing!**

March 18

Itachi blocked the kunai aimed at his neck and deflected it back at its owner. The shinobi dodged it, forming seals as he did so. Itachi did not recognize the jutsu, which added to his barely suppressed agitation. He and Kisame had managed to retrieve the scroll they were after, but the rogue shinobi they had taken it from were proving to be tougher opponents than they had anticipated.

And they were running late.

Dodging a lightning jutsu, he made up his mind and dispatched the man with mangekyo. As he crumpled to the ground, Itachi turned his eyes to Kisame.

He was clearly enjoying his battle, drawing it out as long as he could to toy with his opponent. 

Agitated, Itachi opened his mouth to call out to him to hurry, but a stray thought crossed his mind, and he remained silent.

_We're late,_ he thought. _But I suppose once will be okay. Kisame should be able to enjoy his birthday._

**Short and to the point, if I do say so myself! It was another of those stick-around-until-it's-written ideas, and so there you have it! **


	10. Sakura

**Goodness, you'd think a main character would be easy to write…wish me luck!**

**Disclaimer: Need I say it?**

March 28

Sakura peered around the corner anxiously, breathing a relieved sigh when she saw the coast was clear. She darted across the street, casting wary glances over her shoulder.

"Aw, Sasuke, come on! It's really important!"

She cringed at the sound of that voice she knew all too well and barreled into the nearest shop, looking around for a place to hide.

"Hey, Sakura, what's the matter?"

Realizing where she was, Sakura groaned inwardly. Of all the places to hide, she just _had_ to pick the Yamanaka flower shop. Ino was leaning on the counter and watching her curiously.

Before she could come up with a decent excuse, she heard the voice of the person she wanted to avoid most approaching.

"Ino, I need a place to hide, quick! No time for explanations!"

Ino blinked in surprise. "If you're really that desperate, I guess you can duck down behind the counter and—hey, watch the flowers, will you?" Sakura, without waiting for her to finish, frantically scrambled around the flowers and slid down behind the counter, just as someone came into the shop.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" Ino chirped. Sakura stiffened, resisting the urge to try and sneak a look at her teammate. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

"I'm just waiting for the loser," he replied tonelessly.

Ino's smile dimmed. "Alright. So, what are you looking for, then?

"Well…what are good flowers for birthdays?"

Ino left Sakura alone behind the counter and went to help him choose. "A birthday, huh? Let's see…these over here are nice, and they're in bloom this time of year." Much to Sakura's relief, Ino wasn't in a mood to ruin her day, and went about her job as if nothing was amiss.

Once the flowers had been chosen and paid for, and the girls were alone in the shop again, Ino cracked up laughing. "So _that's_ why you wanted to hide!" she exclaimed. "He found out it's your birthday, and you don't want to put up with him!"

Sakura stood up and glared angrily at her. "Like you'd want Naruto fawning over you on your birthday!"

Ino opened her mouth to retaliate when quiet footsteps made their way into the shop.

"Hey, Sakura, come with me."

Both girls' heads snapped toward the door where Sasuke was standing nonchalantly, the light from outside pooling around him. Inner Sakura pumped her fist in the air with a triumphant shout as Ino's eyes filled with jealousy.

"Of course, Sasuke-kun!"

* * *

"So you knew I was there?"

"I saw you run in. Naruto would have too, if he wasn't too busy bothering me."

Sakura chuckled quietly, taking a look around. After a few moments of walking in silence, she asked, "Why are we heading toward the training grounds?"

"Kakashi-sensei has something he wants to tell us about our mission tomorrow," Sasuke replied smoothly. "If we're lucky, Naruto will be late."

Just as they entered the training grounds, Sakura got the distinct feeling that she was being watched. But she shrugged it off, assuming it was nothing to worry about. If someone was watching them, surely Sasuke would have noticed.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"

Naruto bounded over to them, grinning from ear to ear. "Come on, come on!" he urged excitedly, grabbing Sakura by the hand and pulling her toward a cluster of trees. Fury clear on her face, she lifted her fist to knock some sense into him, only to drop her arm and stumble in surprise as she saw what the trees had been concealing.

A red and white checkered blanket had been laid out on the ground, and spread over it were all the makings of a picnic. In the center lay a small bouquet of fresh daffodils, and Kakashi himself was sitting on the ground, looking as comfortable as he ever did, miraculously on time.

"Happy birthday, Sakura!"

**I think that's pretty good for something that insisted on starting with Sakura sneaking around to avoid Naruto. Pardon the lack of any decent style…I'm running on three hours of sleep…Oh, and for those of you who like to know when the next birthday is up, there are none for April, so don't hold your breath. -grins-**


	11. Chouji

Someone shoot me now...I've just come through a month of scriptwriting, and now I have to do this? Gah! And my musical isn't even finished yet! Also, forgive me for being a couple of days late! 

Disclaimer: It's a disclaimer. Go look up the definition if you don't know what it's telling you.

May 1

"Chouji, you really shouldn't eat so much."

"Let him eat in peace for once, will you?"

"But it's not healthy!"

"It's his birthday, he can eat how he wants."

My thoughts exactly, Chouji thought, happily devouring another bag of chips.

Chouji is surprisingly hard to write for…not to mention my brain is addled by allergies and a lack of decent sleep…but I feel this is perfect! Don't kill me!

dodges flying pointy objects


End file.
